Rage from One to Ten

 

 

One.

 

 

There's a disturbance at the Cherry Patch.

A customer calls for the management

and offers no other details

 

Wash and I respond. In the snow and slush,

at best, it is a quick code one response.

 

 

Two.

 

 

The Cherry Patch is strip club with a history

of shootings and unfriendly patrons.

 

You don't go in alone.

 

Wash updates he's stuck behind a train.

 

I slow until I see the Night's Sergeant

has attached himself to the call

and is onscene. 

 

 

Three.

 

 

In the parking lot, the Sergeant's slick top is empty.

I grab my Pelican and start in. 

 

The door opens. The Sergeant has a gal in cuffs.

He forces her arms high and her shoulders low

as he pushes her out.

 

She is bucking, thrashing, struggling to break free.

 

I grab her, secure her cuffs, and start the pat down.

 

Her screams form words, "I'm shitting myself!"

 

The odor rises a stain spreads across the seat of her pants. 

 

I hold my breath and look for patience.

 

"I said I am shitting myself!"

 

I look to the Sergeant.

 

What do we have?

 

"Attempted Assault and Trespassing. She told a swing at the bartender."

 

Got it.

 

I open the prisoner cage of the prowler and guide the woman in.

 

Have a seat.

 

She declines and rages, uses her 170 pounds to strain and pull away. She'd head butt me if she could.

 

The Sergeant rotates to the passenger side of the patrol car, opens the door, tries to pull her in and I push. It is not enough. I grab the back of her hair, twist down, and extend my arm into the car.

 

It works. She's in. We shut the doors.

 

Straight Pipe arrives with his MAV and records her smash her face into the plexi-glass partion of the cage as I walk in and talk to the bar tender.

 

 

Four.

 

 

What would you like to happen?

 

The bar tender says, "I want her to go jail."

 

We can do that. Tell me what she did.

 

"But I don't want to have to testify or go to court."

 

The bouncer can't change her mind.

 

Then, I'll take her to detox.

 

 

Five.

 

 

Straight Pipe, will you follow me. You have the MAV.

 

The Sergeant says, "And I will follow you both."

 

 

Six.

 

 

En route, I grab the mike, 7David4, transporting one to detox. I need a safety room and let the staff know she is covered in feces.

 

My passenger punctuates every other word of my transmission by ramming her head cage with a staccato of  " WHAM, WHAM, BAM, WHAM."

 

Seven. 

 

The woman is fishing, hurling out curses and insults, testing the water, reeling then back in and repeating them. She starts with "fat fuck," works through "fucking faggot, " and redoubles with "stupid nigger."

 

I say nothing. 

 

She screams, "Aren't you going to react? Don't you have any emotions. What are you, some stupid, fucking droid?"

She tells me she works for the city. She is going to have me fired and thrown in jail. 

 

She starts spitting hocking loogies at glass behind my head taunting. 

Then, she taunts,"I'm smearing shit all over your seats." 

 

Eight. 

 

At Detox, she declares she won't go in. 

The staff gives us a spit sock. 

Straight Pipe and the Sergeant try to calm her down. She rages on. 

When I open the door to bring get out, she shifts back, and plays keep away. 

As the Sergeant distracts her, I grab her by the hair again, aim her head so she can't spit on the Sergeant or me, and pull her out. 

The sergeant slips on the hood. I release her hair and escort her in. 

She has other ideas. She drops her weight and  breaks free of the Sergeant. Straight Pipe steps in and takes control enough to walk her in the front door. 

 

Inside, I am lifting her. Straight Pipe is guiding her down ramp to the main floor. 

 

She changes tactics. She braces against me, arches her back, and mule kicks Straight Pipe in the groin. I see the kick, hear the 'thump' of the impact, Straight Pipe's groan, and the Sergeant's exclamation, "She kicked you!"

 

We pin her to the half wall of the ramp, preventing her from kicking again, pressing our thighs against her jeans. 

 

She smears fecal matter across my pants. 

 

Straight Pipe, you okay?

 

"Yeah, ...well....."

He shrugs. 

 

"Let's get her inside."

 

"She kicked you, she going to jail," says the Sergeant. 

 

I nod. 

 

Let's carry her back out. 

 

Nine.

 

In the Sally Port, the jail deputies asses her and  let her stew.  

 

They won't take her until she calms down. 

 

She doesn't. She spins and kicks, swears and threatens, and slams her head again and again. 

 

They bring her in after a forty-five minute wait. 

 

The smell is oppressive 

 

Between the stench and her screams, I develop a head ache. 

 

Ten. 

 

It's big clock time, the shift is home, Straight Pipe and I are in the office writing. 

 

We stop to watch the MAV tape.

 

Outside Detox, when the woman drops and breaks free of the Sergeant, she mule kicks Straight Pipe in the crotch as he stepped into help. I did not see it. Straight Pipe did not feel it until we walked her in. 

 

 

 

 

Comments

[Pam]

It is a shame that some people have descended to the level of animals. I'm sorry you have to deal with it. But thank you.

[slamdunk]

Sad that all that time and effort is invested into not hurting someone and then it is the officer that is lucky that he was not visiting the doctor. In the end, she winds up with criminal charges anyway. Too bad the bartender would not have cooperated more to save everyone some trouble.

[Easily Lost]

And this is why I am not in law enforcement. All of you exercised the patience and restraint I readily admit I would not have in that situation. Thank You for doing a job I know I can't.